Greek Bean Salad with Lemon Marinated Beans (Print Version)

Colorful beans marinated in zesty lemon-oregano dressing with crisp vegetables, olives, and feta for bright Mediterranean flavors.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beans & Marinade

01 - 3 (15-ounce) cans mixed beans (chickpeas, kidney beans, cannellini), drained and rinsed
02 - Juice and zest of 2 lemons
03 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
04 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
05 - 1 tablespoon dried oregano or 1.5 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
06 - 1 teaspoon honey or granulated sugar
07 - 0.75 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
08 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Salad

09 - 1 small English cucumber, seeded and diced
10 - 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
11 - 0.5 medium red onion, thinly sliced
12 - 0.5 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
13 - 0.25 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
15 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for finishing
16 - 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

# How-To Steps:

01 - Pat the drained beans dry with paper towels and transfer to a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, 3 tablespoons olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, honey, 0.75 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of black pepper until well combined. Pour the marinade over the beans and gently fold until every bean is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight for maximum flavor development.
02 - While beans marinade, prepare all vegetables: seed and dice the cucumber, halve the cherry tomatoes, thinly slice the red onion, halve the Kalamata olives, roughly chop the parsley, and chop the fresh dill.
03 - Taste the marinated beans and adjust salt and pepper if needed, reserving any excess marinade. In a large salad bowl, combine cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives, parsley, and dill. Drizzle the reserved bean marinade and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over the vegetables.
04 - Add the marinated beans to the vegetable mixture and toss gently to combine, being careful not to crush the beans or tomatoes. Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese on top, then give the salad one final gentle toss to distribute the cheese throughout.
05 - Let the salad rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld together.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The beans drink up all that lemony garlic marinade and become the star instead of just filler.
  • You can make it hours ahead and it only gets better as it sits in the fridge.
  • It works as lunch, a side dish, or even dinner with some warm pita on the side.
  • Every bite has crunch, creaminess, and that salty-tart punch that makes you reach for another forkful.
02 -
  • If you skip marinating the beans, the salad tastes like separate ingredients instead of a unified dish.
  • Seeding the cucumber prevents a puddle from forming at the bottom of your bowl an hour later.
  • Don't add the feta too early or it will dissolve into the dressing and turn everything cloudy.
03 -
  • Use a microplane for the lemon zest and avoid the white pith underneath, which turns bitter.
  • If your red onion is too sharp, soak the slices in cold water for ten minutes and pat them dry before adding.
  • Taste a bean before you serve, if it's bland, whisk together a little more lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and toss it through.
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